Sweet Pea Births

Chandler, Arizona

Sweet Pea ​Births

...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth

Blog

« Back to Blog « Older Entry | Newer Entry »

Postpartum Wellness Series: Nutrition

Posted on November 16, 2017 at 10:23 AM
Postpartum Wellness Series – Nutrition
 
Welcome to our Postpartum Wellness Series.  Each week we will look at one area you can influence to help the days and weeks after you bring your baby home be just a little bit smoother. 
 
These early days with your sweet pea are the most precious – they will never be this small again. It is a good and worthy endeavor to make these first memories as well as they can be made for your family. My goal with this 8-week series is to offer some practical tips that you can employ without any extra purchases outside of your normal postpartum needs. Hopefully all that these tips will require is a little attention and a slight shift in perspective. It is my intention that you can find at least one small thing each week that will improve your postpartum experience.
 

 
Postpartum nutrition is just as important as prenatal nutrition. We encourage our students to continue following “The Brewer Diet”. This “diet” was designed by Dr. Tom Brewer to teach his patients to eat healthy, whole food long before it was the “it” thing to do.  You can find a link to The Brewer Diet website HERE. 
 
The holistic approach to postpartum invites the woman and her family to treat this time as a recovery period from pregnancy and childbirth.  The following five ideas will help you treat your body gently and ease back into the non-pregnant state.
 
Avoid Sugars and Caffeine
Take heart, mamas...not forever...just “for now”!  I am raising my hand over here – I do enjoy the occasional caramel and mocha coffee. 
 
The issue with sugars and caffeine in the immediate postpartum is the way they affect normal body functioning.  Sugar can contribute to mood swings at a time when you are already adjusting to a new normal after pregnancy. Caffeine is a well-known stimulant that keeps you awake, the opposite of what needs to happen in the immediate postpartum.  Your body does a lot of work to repair itself while you are sleeping, so find a non-caffeinated beverage to enjoy for at least six weeks after your sweet pea arrives. THIS article outlines some of the amazing things that happen within your body when you are not awake.
 
Avoiding sugars and caffeine keeps you on a fair playing field as you adjust to life with a newborn. And if it makes it easier, circle a date six weeks out from the birth-day on the calendar when you can go get your favorite sugary and caffeine-rich treat!!  
 
Eat Real Food
Circling back to The Brewer Diet…the foundation of postpartum nutrition is a diet rich in protein, fluids, fruits and vegetables. You can also continue taking your prenatal vitamin. Believe it or not, if you are going to breastfeed, you need 500+ calories a day than you needed when you were pregnant.
 
Protein: for cell growth and repair…all the organs that have been squished in the last months of pregnancy, the uterus that has to heal, the vagina and/or cesarean birth scar that have to heal from their part in the birth journey…all these body parts need protein so that your cells can do their work to rebuild all that has been bruised and stretched through the course of pregnancy and birth.
 
Fluids: it never ceases to amaze me that the human body is about 60% water! So keep that water bottle handy and refill it often. In addition, breastmilk is a live fluid that is created out of your bloodstream for your sweet pea. Breastmilk is 88% water (https://kellymom.com/nutrition/starting-solids/baby-water/), so this is another reason why you may feel thirsty all the time if you are not paying attention to your water intake. Ample hydration is one of the ways to ensure you are making enough milk for your sweet pea – give your body what it needs to make that breastmilk.

Fruits and Vegetables: these are the most bioavailable vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants designed by Mother Nature just for you. Not everyone can afford to eat all organic all the time, so we offer the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen" lists from the Environmental Working Group as a resource. It may help you decide how to spend your grocery budget - spend a little more to eat organic and save where you can buying conventional growth foods. They now have easy smart phone apps that you can download and access as you shop.
 
Keep One-handed Snacks Handy
However you feed your baby – hands are going to be occupied. In the early days, both hands. As you get more comfortable, you will find yourself becoming an expert at one-handed eating (and finding things on menus that can be eaten with one hand!).
 
My postpartum shopping list included of apples, carrots, celery, crackers, nut butter, hummus, and hard cheese (sharp cheddar is my favorite!).
 
Here is a quick list of snacks you can stock or have someone prepare for you with these seven ingredients:
  • Sliced apples spread with nut butter
  • Sliced apples stacked with sliced hard cheese
  • Sliced or “baby” carrots spread with hummus
  • Crackers with nut butter
  • Crackers with hummus
  • Crackers with sliced cheese
  • Celery spread with nut butter
  • Celery spread with hummus
 
I specifically avoided ranch dressing and soft cheeses. Some newborns are sensitive to the large milk protein found in cows’ milk.  The hard cheeses are easier to digest since the protein is broken-down differently in the preparation process. And some newborns will not tolerate any dairy…unfortunately, the only way to find out is through trial and error.
 
We also had lots of yogurt and flax seed, plus sandwich fixings in the refrigerator. Yogurt is an easy snack to sprinkle with ground flax seed for a protein and good-fat boost between feedings. Someone can also make-ahead sandwiches or tortilla wraps for the times you are ravenous and don’t have time to make a full meal.  My favorite sandwich was hummus and avocado with lettuce between two slices of whole grain bread. That combination worked equally well as a wrap. Yum!!
 
My last suggestion is to try out all the “Just A Handful” snack bags that can be purchased at Trader Joe’s. They have several different varieties that include dried fruits and nuts in a snack pouch. Not so great for the environment…so after postpartum you can buy the bigger bag and serve yourself. In the short term, please do the little things that make life easier and buy these handy packs!!
 
Funny side note: I always kept several snack size pouches in my diaper bag or my purse…our older kids always knew where to go to find snacks when we were out and about. They bemoaned the day when I was no longer breastfeeding around the clock and stopped stocking them, “You never have good snacks anymore!”
 
Probiotics and fish oils
We are learning about the benefits of probiotics and fish oil as more research is done into postpartum mood and anxiety disorders. Here is some information from THIS study from the University of Auckland:
 
Probiotics are live microorganisms that when consumed in adequate amounts provide health benefits to the host. They are typically found in some yoghurts and other fermented foods.
“Depression and anxiety in pregnancy and after birth affects 10-15 per cent of women, although many are not recognised or treated,” Professor Mitchell says.
“There is mounting evidence from animal studies that the microbiome-gut-brain axis - the biochemical signalling that takes place between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system - may be important for mental health.”
Taking probiotics may reduce postnatal depression
www.auckland.ac.nz
 
A small study that was presented in 2011 found that:
 
“Eating fatty fish or other foods rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy may help lower your risk of developing symptoms commonly seen in postpartum depression…”
WebMD, “Omega-3s May Cut Risk of Postpartum Depression”
https://goo.gl/jHCkdT
 
So while you are no longer pregnant in the postpartum period, the benefit of the omega-3s found in walnuts, flax seed, fatty fish, and fish oils can still be an advantage.
 
“Essential fatty acids including those found in fish may help some women who are at-risk for postpartum depression by bolstering the vesicles that carry mood chemicals such as serotonin in the brain,” 
WebMD, “Omega-3s May Cut Risk of Postpartum Depression”
https://goo.gl/xdHFU9
 
THIS article makes sense of the alphabet soup and may help you decide what you want to eat or how to supplement going forward.
 
Placenta encapsulation
I included placenta encapsulation in the nutrition portion of this series because however you may consume it, the placenta is being processed by the digestive tract. Observation of other mammals indicates that placenta consumption is common and “natural” in the animal kingdom. 

Anecdotal information from a placenta encapsulation website:

Your baby’s placenta...in capsule form, is believed to:
contain your own natural hormones
be perfectly made for you
balance your system
replenish depleted iron (my note: see UNLV study)
give you more energy
lessen bleeding postnatally
been shown to increase milk production
help you have a happier postpartum period
hasten return of uterus to pre-pregnancy state
Placenta Benefits Info/Articles
 
 
HERE and HERE are the two reports that have come out of UNLV regarding placentophagy.
 
HERE and HERE are some blog posts I have done on placenta encapsulation if you want to learn more about our experience and the different methods of preparing the placenta for consumption.
 
That Basket Again…
As I mentioned in the first post, the “breastfeeding basket” was a time and sanity saver in the postpartum period. I would keep some “just a handful” treats from Trader Joe’s in it at all times. 
 
If you missed the sleep installment, here is “the basket”: Gather the most-used items that you need when you sit down to feed your baby so that you don’t have to get up and find them, or have someone bring them to you.  This is what I kept in my basket: water, one-hand snacks that do not need to be refrigerated (bars, nut packs, fruit leather, etc.), diapers, wipes, change of clothes for the baby, burp cloths, bottom cream and nipple cream. 

 
I hope that out of these 5+1 tips, there is at least one that you can embrace whole-heartedly.  I invite you to jot down or type yourself a note of one small thing you can do to make that tip happen for you this postpartum. Try to start one journal page or virtual note that you can add to as we progress through this 8-week series for a better postpartum experience.
 
Previous Installments:
Sleep
 
Coming up next week:
Exercise
 
And check back for the rest of the series:
Physical recovery
Social Support
Practical Support
Emotional Support
Medical Intervention
 
Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and posted. 
 
References:
 
Probiotics and Postpartum Depression Study from The University of Auckland New Zealand
https://goo.gl/dYQKgo
 
Time Health: “Study: Fish Oil May Prevent Symptoms of Postpartum Depression”
http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/12/study-fish-oil-may-prevent-symptoms-of-postpartum-depression/
 
WebMD: “Omega-3s May Cut Risk of Postpartum Depression”
https://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20110412/omega-3s-may-cut-risk-of-postpartum-depression#1
 
Dietary omega-3 fatty acids aid in the modulation of inflammation and metabolic health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4030645/
 
Placenta Benefits Info:
http://placentabenefits.info/articles/
 
Steamed, Dehydrated or Raw: Placentas May Help Moms’ Post-Partum Health
https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/steamed-dehydrated-or-raw-placentas-may-help-moms%E2%80%99-post-partum-health
 
UNLV Study Finds No Iron Benefit from Eating Placenta
https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/unlv-study-finds-no-iron-benefit-eating-placenta

 

Disclaimer: 
The material included on this site is for informational purposes only.

It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation.  Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®.

Bradley Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona: Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale

Categories: Nutrition, Placenta, Placenta Encapsulation, Planning for Baby, Postpartum, Postpartum Depression

Post a Comment

Oops!

Oops, you forgot something.

Oops!

The words you entered did not match the given text. Please try again.

1412 Comments

Reply curry shoes
2:27 PM on December 29, 2021 
I truly wanted to send a message so as to say thanks to you for these marvelous secrets you are giving on this website. My time intensive internet investigation has at the end been honored with really good concept to write about with my co-workers. I would suppose that most of us readers actually are extremely lucky to live in a magnificent place with so many brilliant individuals with insightful tricks. I feel quite lucky to have encountered your entire webpages and look forward to so many more awesome times reading here. Thanks a lot once more for all the details.
curry shoes http://www.curry-6.us
Reply golden goose
2:28 PM on December 29, 2021 
Thanks for your whole efforts on this web site. My mum loves going through research and it is easy to understand why. Many of us hear all relating to the compelling method you give sensible tricks by means of this blog and therefore encourage participation from people on the subject matter plus our favorite simple princess is undoubtedly starting to learn a whole lot. Have fun with the rest of the new year. You are performing a terrific job.
golden goose http://www.goldengoosessale.com
Reply a bathing ape
2:29 PM on December 29, 2021 
I needed to put you that little observation in order to give thanks the moment again about the precious tactics you have discussed in this article. It's so generous of you to provide unreservedly what many individuals could possibly have advertised for an ebook in making some cash for their own end, notably now that you might have done it if you ever wanted. Those basics additionally served as a fantastic way to recognize that other individuals have the same passion like my personal own to grasp way more related to this issue. I think there are several more pleasant moments in the future for individuals who look into your blog.
a bathing ape http://www.bape-clothing.us
Reply michael jordan shoes
3:01 AM on December 31, 2021 
I definitely wanted to write down a quick note in order to say thanks to you for some of the pleasant hints you are writing here. My time intensive internet look up has finally been paid with reliable facts to exchange with my family and friends. I would express that we site visitors are truly lucky to exist in a superb place with so many lovely professionals with insightful guidelines. I feel rather lucky to have come across your webpages and look forward to plenty of more awesome moments reading here. Thanks once more for all the details.
michael jordan shoes http://www.michaeljordanshoes.us.com
Reply golden goose shoes
7:06 AM on January 1, 2022 
I simply wanted to write down a remark to be able to thank you for all the amazing ideas you are posting on this site. My time-consuming internet investigation has finally been rewarded with incredibly good tips to write about with my friends. I 'd state that that many of us website visitors are really endowed to exist in a remarkable place with very many special professionals with great pointers. I feel pretty lucky to have seen the web page and look forward to plenty of more exciting times reading here. Thank you once more for all the details.
golden goose shoes http://www.goldengooseshoes.us.org
Reply curry 6 shoes
2:00 AM on January 2, 2022 
I'm writing to make you be aware of what a incredible discovery my princess went through reading yuor web blog. She figured out such a lot of issues, including how it is like to possess an ideal coaching heart to let the others easily grasp a variety of grueling subject matter. You actually did more than readers' expected results. Many thanks for churning out those warm and friendly, trustworthy, edifying not to mention unique tips about your topic to Lizeth.
curry 6 shoes http://www.curry-6.us
Reply supreme clothing
12:19 PM on January 2, 2022 
Thanks a lot for providing individuals with an exceptionally pleasant opportunity to read critical reviews from this site. It is usually very nice and stuffed with amusement for me personally and my office mates to visit the blog no less than thrice weekly to study the new guides you will have. And indeed, we are at all times happy with all the wonderful ideas you serve. Some 2 areas in this article are really the most suitable I've ever had.
supreme clothing http://www.supremeoutlet.us.com
Reply kobe shoes
9:08 PM on January 2, 2022 
I must convey my gratitude for your kind-heartedness for persons that have the need for help with this important subject matter. Your personal dedication to passing the message all through appeared to be extraordinarily productive and have constantly allowed men and women much like me to attain their aims. Your personal warm and helpful guideline indicates this much to me and extremely more to my office colleagues. With thanks; from all of us.
kobe shoes http://www.kobe.us.com
Reply supreme outlet
12:35 PM on January 4, 2022 
I would like to point out my gratitude for your generosity for persons that have the need for help on in this topic. Your very own commitment to getting the message all through appears to be incredibly practical and have without exception allowed some individuals much like me to achieve their aims. Your amazing insightful advice entails so much a person like me and still more to my colleagues. With thanks; from everyone of us.
supreme outlet http://www.supremeclothingstore.com
Reply moncler outlet
7:02 AM on January 5, 2022 
Thank you for your entire work on this blog. My mom really loves working on internet research and it's really easy to see why. All of us hear all relating to the powerful form you give practical guides via the blog and even foster participation from others on this concept so our daughter is really studying a lot. Take pleasure in the remaining portion of the year. You're performing a really great job.
moncler outlet http://www.moncler--outlet.us.com
Reply lebron 18
4:50 PM on January 5, 2022 
Thanks a lot for giving everyone a very brilliant opportunity to discover important secrets from this web site. It is always so ideal and also packed with fun for me personally and my office co-workers to search the blog on the least thrice in one week to read through the fresh issues you have got. And lastly, I'm also at all times motivated for the very good solutions you give. Selected 4 ideas in this post are easily the most beneficial we've had.
lebron 18 http://www.lebron18.us
Reply birkin bag
1:26 PM on January 6, 2022 
My wife and i were very more than happy Ervin could conclude his basic research by way of the precious recommendations he discovered from your own weblog. It is now and again perplexing to just choose to be handing out guidelines that many some people have been selling. And we fully grasp we have got the blog owner to appreciate for that. The entire illustrations you have made, the straightforward website menu, the relationships you help promote - it's everything amazing, and it's really helping our son in addition to us understand that subject is pleasurable, and that's rather vital. Thanks for the whole lot!
birkin bag http://www.birkinbag.us.com
Reply kyrie 4
3:35 PM on January 6, 2022 
My wife and i felt now happy when Peter managed to round up his investigations via the precious recommendations he had out of your web pages. It's not at all simplistic to just possibly be giving out key points that people have been selling. And now we fully understand we have got the blog owner to give thanks to because of that. All of the explanations you've made, the simple web site navigation, the relationships your site assist to create - it is mostly astounding, and it's really leading our son and our family do think the situation is pleasurable, which is really essential. Thank you for the whole lot!
kyrie 4 http://www.kyrie4shoes.us
Reply paul george
6:47 PM on January 6, 2022 
I'm commenting to let you understand what a excellent experience my wife's girl enjoyed using your webblog. She came to understand a lot of issues, including what it's like to have a wonderful teaching mood to get the mediocre ones smoothly understand some very confusing things. You really surpassed people's expectations. Thank you for showing these warm and friendly, dependable, explanatory and also fun tips about your topic to Evelyn.
paul george http://www.paulgeorge.us.com
Reply hermes belt
12:07 AM on January 7, 2022 
I enjoy you because of your entire hard work on this blog. Betty takes pleasure in managing internet research and it's really easy to understand why. We know all of the powerful medium you present simple secrets through your blog and as well boost participation from visitors on this article so our own girl is in fact understanding so much. Have fun with the remaining portion of the new year. You are always conducting a splendid job.
hermes belt http://www.hermesbelts.com
Reply yeezy boost 350
3:02 AM on January 7, 2022 
I must show appreciation to you just for bailing me out of this particular situation. Right after scouting through the the net and getting solutions which are not productive, I assumed my entire life was done. Living without the strategies to the problems you have fixed all through your guide is a crucial case, and the ones that could have negatively affected my entire career if I hadn't noticed your website. Your personal skills and kindness in touching a lot of things was very helpful. I am not sure what I would've done if I had not come across such a step like this. I can also at this time look forward to my future. Thank you very much for this professional and results-oriented guide. I will not hesitate to propose your web site to any individual who would like guidelines about this area.
yeezy boost 350 http://www.yeezy350boost.us.com
Reply golden goose outlet
8:53 AM on January 7, 2022 
A lot of thanks for each of your work on this website. Gloria really likes setting aside time for research and it is easy to understand why. My spouse and i hear all relating to the dynamic manner you render priceless tips and hints on your web blog and in addition welcome participation from others about this idea while our favorite girl is without question discovering a great deal. Enjoy the remaining portion of the new year. Your doing a remarkable job.
golden goose outlet http://www.goldengooseoutlets.us
Reply nike lebron 16
5:47 PM on January 7, 2022 
I together with my friends have already been taking note of the good items from your site while all of a sudden came up with an awful feeling I had not thanked the website owner for those strategies. Those young boys had been as a result stimulated to read them and have in effect clearly been making the most of them. We appreciate you getting considerably accommodating and also for going for such very good things most people are really eager to know about. My personal sincere apologies for not expressing appreciation to sooner.
nike lebron 16 http://www.lebron16.us
Reply yeezy boost 350 v2
10:10 PM on January 7, 2022 
I not to mention my friends were reading through the great guides found on your website and then quickly I had a terrible suspicion I had not thanked the web site owner for them. My women became absolutely excited to learn them and have in effect clearly been using them. Thanks for indeed being so kind and also for selecting these kinds of marvelous guides most people are really eager to know about. My honest apologies for not expressing gratitude to earlier.
yeezy boost 350 v2 http://www.yeezy-shoes.us.org
Reply nike kyrie 5
11:09 PM on January 7, 2022 
I definitely wanted to compose a remark to be able to thank you for the stunning concepts you are giving here. My time consuming internet research has at the end of the day been honored with excellent facts to talk about with my two friends. I would say that we visitors actually are definitely lucky to be in a very good place with very many perfect professionals with good tricks. I feel somewhat privileged to have used your webpages and look forward to so many more cool minutes reading here. Thanks a lot once again for a lot of things.
nike kyrie 5 http://www.kyrie5.org

Categories


/
Lightbox image